Tim Flanagan, Author at The Stray Ferret

Today’s Ripon Market cancelled due to storms

Today’s Ripon Market has fallen victim to the weather.

The market normally opens at 7.30am and runs until 3pm but our photo shows the scene on Market Square early this morning, with no stalls or traders in sight.

A number of traders posted on Facebook yesterday evening to say that the market was cancelled due to the weather.

Storm Dudley brought winds of around 50mph to the Harrogate district yesterday and Storm Eunice is due to arrive tomorrow.

Swimming club seeks further talks about use of Ripon’s new pool

A volunteer-run swimming club has said it would welcome further talks with Brimhams Active aimed at securing future use of Ripon’s new £15 million pool.

Committee members at Ripon City Swimming Club have been buoyed by support from Ripon City Council, which is calling on Brimhams Active to let the club use the newly-constructed facilities on Dallamires Lane on the same basis and at a similar hire charge paid previously at Ripon Spa Baths.

A committee spokesperson told the Stray Ferret:

“We fought for a new pool in Ripon and hope to be able to carry on our work there, training children to swim in a friendly atmosphere and a cost that families can afford.”

The club, which has taught thousands of children to swim over more than a century, saw its long-term relationship with Harrogate Borough Council come to an end in November when Spa Baths closed.

The club’s Thursday evening training sessions at Spa Baths, came to an end in November

The committee spokesperson said:

“We got on very well with staff at the baths and thought that the relationship would continue at the new pool, though we anticipated that we would have to pay some more for the use of enhanced facilities.”

However, discussions with Brimhams Active — a company set up by Harrogate Borough Council to run its district-wide leisure centres and swimming pools — soon proved otherwise.

The club, which had been paying an annual hire charge of £4,500, discovered that it would need to pay a ‘commercial rate’ of £12,000 per annum if it wanted to continue its training sessions in the same way that it had operated at Spa Baths.

Faced with the prospect of being ‘priced out’ of using the new pool, the club was thrown a lifeline by Ripon Grammar School whose pool it has been using for Tuesday night training sessions run by Swim England-qualified teachers.

The spokesperson added:

“We are extremely grateful to the grammar school, without their assistance the club would not have been able to continue.”

Support from Ripon City Council

Cllr Andrew Williams, who leads the independent-controlled city council, received the support of a majority of members at last week’s full meeting when he called for Brimhams to reconsider its stance on charges to the club.

He said:

“In a city with three rivers, a canal and other areas of water, it is of paramount importance for children to learn to swim at the earliest opportunity and for this to be affordable – particularly at a time when family budgets are under pressure.”

Conservative councillor Mike Chambers, a member of the Harrogate Borough Council cabinet, said:

“The club has been listened to and concessions have been offered to them.

“The council needs to have the full picture, so that we don’t go off at half cock.”

The Stray Ferret has asked Harrogate Borough Council if Brimhams Active would be willing to hold further discussions, with a view to reviewing the rate it charges the club.

At the time of publication, no response had been received.

Calls to relocate litter bins in Ripon

An audit of litter bins is being conducted in Ripon to ensure they are more evenly spread out.

Once the audit is complete, Harrogate Borough Council will be asked to relocate some of the city’s bins to areas of greater footfall.

Councillors at last week’s full Ripon City Council meeting said that while some areas are well served with bins for rubbish and dog waste, there is a dearth of them in other parts of Ripon.

Councillor Stephen Craggs, who is carrying out the city-wide audit to pinpoint the location of bins, said:

“If you look at Spa Park for example, there are six bins within close proximity to each other, but if you walk down to Clotherholme Road on the route that many Outwood and Ripon Grammar students use to go to school, they are in short supply.”

Clotherholme Road, one of the principal walking routes for students going to Outwood Academy and Ripon Grammar, has a shortage of litter bins

He added:

“At a time when we are encouraging children to walk to school, it makes sense to have litter bins that they can use along the way to avoid discarded rubbish ending up in hedgerows.

“It’s not a case of asking for new bins to be installed, but for a better distribution of them on the routes that are used by pedestrians and dog walkers.”

Council leader Andrew Williams, who has received complaints about the lack of litter bins from residents in his ward, agrees with Cllr Craggs.

He said:

“If you add the six bins at Spa Park to the nine at Spa Gardens and the one outside Spa Baths, we have a concentration of 16 in a relatively compact area and these need to be spread out, so that they are serving more people.”

Councillors have been asked to come forward with details of any lack of litter and dog waste bins in the areas of the city that they represent, so that recommendations for relocation of existing bins can be put forward to Harrogate Borough Council.

Ripon to join in World Day of Prayer

A service to celebrate the World Day of Prayer, will take place in Ripon on Friday March 4.

The service, which is open to all, will be held at St Wilfrid’s Church Community Centre in Trinity Lane, starting at 10.30am.

It will be led by women and focus on prayers contributed by women from across the UK.

Pat Clark, a member of the Ripon committee for the World Day of Prayer movement, said:

“The service is held all round the world, so that at any moment in time on the first Friday in March there will be prayers raised to God on the topics selected by the preparation country. Young people’s and children’s activities are also provided.”

The service, at St Wilfrid’s Community Centre, is open to all

She added:

“It is an international ecumenical organisation, which enables women all over the world to share the ideas and concerns of the writing country (in which they live).

“The UK committee has chosen the Bible text ‘I know the plans I have for you’ from Jeremiah to reflect on some of the issues facing community today- poverty, domestic abuse and disability, finding hope in difficult situations and encouragement in the help people can give to each other.”

Preparation for the day takes several years, with an international committee, based in New York coordinating the work of national committees and facilitating the creation of the annual World Day of Prayer.

Initiated by Christian women in the USA and Canada in the 19th century, the World Day of Prayer has developed into a worldwide ecumenical movement of informed prayer and prayerful action.

Its first services in England were held in 1932.

Swift action to tackle Sharow’s pothole plight

Village campaigner James Thornborough, who highlighted the “shocking state” of roads in Sharow, has had a swift response from North Yorkshire County Council.

Mr Thornborough contacted council chief executive Richard Flinton on January 30 to raise concerns about the uneven and dangerous road surfaces in the village, near Ripon.

He said fear of damage to wheels and tyres was preventing motorists from ‘going green’ by swapping sturdy SUVs for smaller vehicles with less environmental impact.

Mr Flinton promised the condition of the roads would be investigated by the council’s highways team and within a matter of days, council workmen identified 38 potholes and a temporary tarmac fix was applied.

Before … Some of the 38 potholes in Sharow and after … with temporary tarmac patches in place (pictured below)

Following a site visit by members of the council highways team, Nigel Smith, the county’s head of highway operations, sent Mr Thornborough a detailed email. It said:

“Sharow Lane and New Road are at a stage where preventative maintenance is not an option and a more substantial maintenance scheme will be considered for inclusion in our Forward Capital Programme, which presently means that the earliest a planned maintenance scheme could be delivered would be during the 2023/24 financial year.

“By way of further information, it is anticipated that a full ‘plane out and resurface’ scheme is required at this location, which will require funding of up to £200,000.

“In the meantime we will continue to do the annual safety inspections and reactive inspections to keep these carriageways in as safe a condition as possible and keep the matter under regular review.

“To that end I have asked the local area team to keep you apprised of matters with a further update at the end of March 2022 when we are reviewing our delivery programme for 2022/23.”

Mr Thornborough told the Stray Ferret:

“It was refreshing to receive such rapid and positive responses from senior county council officers and I just hope for the sake of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, that we will eventually see a more permanent fix for our patched-up roads.”

Ripon Cathedral to hold memorial service for famous TV dramatist

A memorial service will be held at Ripon Cathedral at 3pm on Tuesday for playwright and TV dramatist Ian Curteis, whose play about the 1982 Falklands conflict was at the centre of a BBC controversy.

Mr Curteis, who in 2001 married Lady Deirdre Hare, widow of the 7th Baron Grantley of Markenfield Hall, spent the latter years of his life focused on the conservation and restoration of the medieval building, which has been the Grantley family seat since the 13th Century. He died in November.

In 2008, he and Lady Deirdre, who described the moated hall as ‘the loveliest place you’ve never heard of’ won the first annual restoration award sponsored by Sotheby’s and the Historic Houses Association.

Better known to people who followed Mr Curteis’ writing rather than restoration activities, was his work on the BBC blockbuster drama series, The Onedin Line, for which he was commissioned to write a number of episodes.

Markenfield Hall.

His innovative approach saw him pioneer a new drama-documentary format for his play on the 1956 Suez crisis, broadcast by the BBC in 1979.

Mr Curteis used the same drama-documentary approach for a play about the Falklands War commissioned by the then BBC director-general Alasdair Milne in April 1983 — just a year after the conflict had started.

However, The Falklands Play, which was for many years at the centre of a controversy involving claims of political bias and attempted censorship, was finally broadcast on BBC Four after a number of re-writes in April 2002.

In a less controversial arena, Mr Curteis wrote an adaptation of JB Priestley’s last novel Lost Empires for ITV and also adapted for broadcast by the BBC The Choir , a novel written by Joanna Trollope.

Bid to break Ripon’s ‘wall of silence’ protecting criminals

Ripon residents who witness, or know about violent, anti-social and other criminal activity in the city, are being urged to contact Crimestoppers.

The charity, which is independent of the police, wants to overcome a ‘wall of silence’ that is stopping some criminals from being brought to justice.

It guarantees 100 percent anonymity to anyone with information that can help to crack Ripon’s persistent crime problem, as highlighted in a Stray Ferret report in December.

Crimestoppers is encouraging residents, who may not want to speak directly to the police, to call its confidential freephone number 0800 555 111 or visit Crimestopper-uk-org and complete a simple anonymous online form.

The charity said the community has a vital role to play in helping to stop crimes such as burglary, theft from cars, vans and shops, drug dealing, weapons and violence, but added:

“People know those who regularly bring crime to the area, but may not want to speak directly to the police. Crimestoppers is here to help and offers a safe and trusted anonymous option.”

‘Fearful of retribution’

Gemma Gibbs, Yorkshire regional manager for the charity, said:

“Some people are fearful of retribution, and that’s probably the main reason why people contact us. They’re scared that if somebody found out that it was them that reported an individual or a particular crime that has happened, they’re fearful of what might happen to them or what might happen to their family.

“We want to make sure that people who are fearful for that reason know that they can still do something and they can still report that information. But our guarantee is that they will contact us and nobody will ever know that they’ve actually reported to us. We take that information and we pass it onto the police.”

Ms Gibbs, added:

“Last summer there were concerns around antisocial behaviour and a small number of people were really concerning the residents. A teenage boy was attacked in August last year and shopkeepers were being attacked as well.

“They don’t just impact the individuals, they can have a real impact on families and the people around them, so we want to really highlight the work that we do to let the community of Ripon know that they don’t have to stay silent. There doesn’t need to be that wall of silence and we are here for them.”

Two months before he resigned from office, former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott said he was confident that police had ‘got a grip’ on crime in the city, but he also spoke of the need to crack ‘the wall of silence’.

He said:

“One of the problems we have in Ripon is sometimes a wall of silence by certain families and that makes it quite difficult to apprehend people.

“The police will still get those people. It just takes a bit longer.”

Ripon student earns place at leading musical theatre college

Ripon Grammar School student Izzy Kirby has won a place at a leading musical theatre college.

The 16-year-old was among the youngest students to gain a place on the highly acclaimed three-year musical theatre course at SLP (Studios La Pointe) College in Leeds.

The course, equivalent to a higher education degree, usually attracts 18-year-olds who have already achieved a foundation course qualification in technique and performance.

Izzy, who will play the role of Babette in next month’s RGS production of Beauty and the Beast, has worked hard to reach the required entry level, beginning her training at The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts in Darlington seven years ago.

For the past four years, she has attended Ripon’s Upstage Academy outside school and will play the starring role of Tracy in the performing arts school’s summer production of Hairspray.

Izzy, said:

“My first love is acting but I know that training as an all-round performer is crucial nowadays and a place at SLP will be a great grounding for a career in this industry.”

Her audition consisted of solo singing, dance classes and acting workshops.

She was expecting to hear back two-weeks later, but received an email the next day offering her a place on the three-year diploma course.

Izzy, who is currently working towards her London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art grades 6, 7 and 8 acting qualifications, says her dream roles include Sophie in Mamma Mia, Velma in Chicago or the title role of Mary Poppins in the musical.

As well as receiving one-to-one singing lessons at SLP, she will have the opportunity to work with guest teachers, directors and choreographers.

Recent graduates have gone on to work in musicals including Wicked, Beautiful, The Lion King and Bat Out of Hell.

Double delay for Kirkby Malzeard road users

It’s almost two years since a section of church wall collapsed in Kirkby Malzeard, raising safety concerns and causing the closure of one of the principal routes through the village.

The retaining wall at St Andrew’s Church collapsed after heavy rain in February 2020.

Harrogate Borough Council’s plans for reconstruction of the collapsed 10-metre section and refurbishment of a further 30 metres of wall have been revised following drawn-out consultation with villagers and statutory bodies including Historic England.

It means the road to Masham remains shut, with no date for its reopening currently known as Harrogate Borough Council is unable to say when the wall will be rebuilt. However, things could move forward next week.

A council spokesman said:

“An application relating to St Andrew’s Church Wall, Kirkby Malzeard will be considered by the council’s planning committee on Tuesday (15 February), the outcome of which will inform next steps, costs and timescales”.

Lynda English, whose children are pupils at Kirkby Malzeard Primary School, which is across the road from the damaged stone structure, told the Stray Ferret:

“Each time it rains, more debris falls from the graveyard onto Church Street and there are an increasing number of gaps between the stones on the section of wall that is due to be rebuilt.”

Church Street, where Kirkby Malzeard Primary School is located, has been closed to through traffic for almost two years

“Fencing has been put in place to block off the collapsed section but it still doesn’t feel safe to me and other families living in the Church Bank area, who have to pass each day, when taking children to school.

“The whole village is fed-up with the delay in fixing the wall but, at the same time, we want to ensure that a proper and lasting repair job is done.”

Photo of Creets Bridge

Creets Bridge traffic lights

In a further blow for motorists travelling to, from and through Kirkby Malzeard, traffic is being held up at the grade II listed Creets Bridge, which crosses Kex Beck, on the main road between the village and Ripon.

The centuries-old bridge was reconstructed by North Yorkshire County Council after suffering severe damage in the floods of November 2000.

Now traffic lights, cones and a concrete barrier have been put in place and only single file traffic can cross, as the route awaits new repair work,

At the time of publication the Stray Ferret was unable to establish from NYCC how long it will take to carry out the works.

Traffic plan sparks concerns over 1,300-home Ripon Barracks scheme

Ripon City Council has called for a new consultation on plans to build 1,300 homes at Ripon Barracks after a transport assessment was belatedly published.

Harrogate Borough Council’s 30-day consultation on the Homes England scheme is due to close on February 17.

But Ripon City Council agreed this week to urgently contact Harrogate Borough Council, asking it to ‘reset the clock’ to give local residents more time to make their views known.

City council leader Andrew Williams, received unanimous support from fellow councillors after he said:

“Important information, most notably the transport assessment executive summary, was added to the Harrogate Borough Council planning portal after the consultation period began — and anybody who commented on the outline planning application prior to February 3 would not have seen the crucial transport document.”

In April, the city council called for the Clotherholme development to be scaled back to 800 homes because of concerns about the impact of more traffic on Ripon’s road network.

At Monday’s full city council meeting, Cllr Williams said:

“This is the biggest single development in Ripon’s history and while we welcome, in principle, new homes for the city, it is clear that we don’t have the roads infrastructure to support this many, which will come on top of the 390 homes at West Lane and other schemes.

“The addition of a further 1,300 homes will have a negative impact across Ripon.

“We’re asking to reset the clock, so that people have the opportunity to read the documents on the planning portal.”

David Walpole, a consultant commissioned by the city council to report on the traffic implications of Clotherholme scheme, has been asked by councillors to ‘object in the strongest possible terms’.

The transport assessment in support of the Homes England development says:

“The proposed mitigation measures for the Ripon Barracks site include a wide range of improvements not just in the vicinity of the development itself, but also throughout the western side of the city and into the city centre itself.

“These measures include; the implementation of pedestrian and cyclist improvements by implementing mitigation measures such as traffic calming on Clotherholme Road and Kirkby Road; the introduction of a one way system involving Kirkby Road, College Road and Trinity Lane to accommodate on road cycling while maintaining car parking along College Road; the provision of a gateway junction including segregated cycling facilities at the primary Kirkby Road access to the site; junction mitigation measures to alleviate traffic congestion at key city centre junctions and provide enhanced pedestrian crossing facilities; measures to prevent rat running; and proposed contributions to public transport bus services.

“As a consequence of the mitigation measures identified to support the proposed development (it) will meet the requirements of the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) ensuring there will be no unacceptable impact on highway safety or severe cumulative impacts and that sustainable modes of transport will be pro-actively prioritised both to and from the development and across the west of Ripon city centre.”

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Support from Ripon City Council

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‘Fearful of retribution’

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Creets Bridge traffic lights

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